Summer of Discontent
by DizmiusArtistius
Summary: grr a summary! a shurbbery!! we demand a shrubbery! (okay that's pointless) its about what happens at the end of book four when Dumbledore sends Sirius on that mission to find people...
1. Default Chapter

Summer of Discontent.  
  
1 of 3-  
  
Searching for the Moon   
  
Summary- What happened when Dumbledore sent Sirius to find those people after the end of book 4.  
-*-  
  
recap-   
  
"Sirius, i need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there."  
  
page 618, GoF.  
  
okay- thats where we start...  
  
-*-  
  
Sirius stopped under the shade of a large oak tree. The summer heat was getting to him already. He was going to go to Remus' first. Stop there then carry on with Remus. He didn't dare go to Arabella and Mundungus without his friend. Who knows what they'd do when they saw him. And no one was ever calmer during a crisis than Moony.  
  
He looked down at his paws, glistening in the heat. Black fur wasn't really the best of things to have on your back when you were planning a long sunny journey. He still had quite a few miles ahead of him. Professor Dumbledore had sent an owl after him... giving him addresses of where to find his old friend. Apparently Remus had left no permanent address when he left, but a list of places where he may or may not be found...  
  
"Well hello there old chap... Lost your way?" Came a friendly voice from the roadside.  
  
Sirius the dog whined.  
  
"C'mon lad, our farmhouse isn't far, you can have a bowl of water." An old farmer had stopped his milk float to see what was wring with the big black bundle of fur under the trees.  
  
Sirius needed no other offerings, he jumped onto the back of the empty milk cart, alongside some of the empty bottles, and was driven into the nearest village where the cart stopped outside a small cottage.  
  
"Here y'are lad, come on inside, the missus wont mind, she's out with the sheep today." The man opened the door and warily Sirius padded inside, following the man into the kitchen. "You got a name, lad?"  
  
Sirius barked a few times, in his human mind meaning to say- "yeah, Sirius the escaped convict who is highly dangerous and supposedly mad Black- at your service."  
  
"Well you ain't got no name tag.. i'll call yer Blackie."  
  
'Close enough.' Sirius thought, cooling himself down by laying on the stone flagged floor.   
  
"I got to go out, lad. Bring back the wife, i'll be back soon enough dont you worry, just you have a nice rest?" The man picked up his jacket and left through the side door.   
  
Once Sirius was satisfied he had left and wasnt going to suddenly return, he transformed with a pop into his Human form and walked into the lounge. "Still have that wondeful charm then." Sirius muttered to himself. "Loveable stray indeed." He picked up a map of the county off the bookshelf and put it in his cloak pocket. Walking back into the kitchen, he drained a glassful of milk out of the fridge and opened the door. Transforming back into a dog again, he disappeared out into the village.  
  
-*-  
  
Remus was sitting in a ragged chair by the open garden doors to his little log cabin. He was reading a selection of Muggle books he had bought on his way here. One in particular- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy had caught his attention. He was pouring through the seeming endless chapters about Arthur Dent and Krikkit when a sharp knock to his door awoke him from his reverie.  
  
"Its open." Remus called out, expecting it to be one of the young children from the nearby village, wanting to hear some fantastical story of magical beasts or something, so was both shocked and pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar voice calling back to him.   
  
"For someone who has werewolf on his resume, you might want to be a bit more WARY of who you let in..." Sirius grinned at his old friend- "Could be an evil murderous fiend or something."  
  
"Padfoot!" Remus embraced his friend in a brotherly hug. "You didn't tell me you were heading here.."  
  
"Didn't exactly leave a definite address did you." Sirius muttered. "Good to see you in one piece."  
  
"You too." Remus glanced at the state of Sirius, "Though you're not going for the ladies charm this season i see."  
  
"Nah, the rugged look's supposedly in this year..." Siruis gave a quick twirl. "Actually I dont dare wash them... but thats not the point."  
  
"I heard... About Harry and the Tournament... I'm glad you were there." Remus changed the subject to a more serious tone.  
  
"Remus.." Sirius ran a hand through his hair... "Dumbledore sent me here. I have some bad news connected to that..."  
  
"HARRY?" Remus asked quickly,  
  
"No." Sirius shook his head, "Well, not really, i mean, let me explain..." Siruis told Remus all about Barty Crouch, the disappearances, how the cup was a portkey and had taken Harry and Cedric straight to Voldemort.  
  
"Lord Voldemort? But how.." Remus asked incredulously as if it was all a bad dream.  
  
"Wormtail, did some spell or something, used Harry's blood, Remus.. he's back..." Sirius said quietly, flumping down into a chair. "Its a miracle Harry's okay.. i wish... oh i dont know..."  
  
"What did Dumbledore tell you to do?" Remus asked calmly.  
  
"Figg and Fletcher, i have to alert them, as soon as he gives me word. I'm to lay low here for a while."  
  
"Trust Dumbledore to impose you upon my hospitality..." Remus gave a mock shudder. "You can have the carpet near the fire..."  
  
"Do you think they'll listen to me?" Sirius looked up at the ceiling. "I dont know what Dumbledore's thinking, sending me of all people to alert them. They'll probably kill me on the spot."  
  
"I'm coming with you," Remus suddenly spoke up, "If i'm there.. they wont be so hasty."  
  
"Yeah.. a werewolf and a murderer. This is going to go so well." Sirius shook his head. "I must send a few notes, to Harry an Dumbledore, tell them i've found you. And am awaiting orders."  
  
"How is he?" Remus asked, conjuring up an orange juice.  
  
"Who? Harry?"  
  
"No, the fleas on your back.. of course Harry." Remus rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm not sure." Sirius frowned. "He was trying his best to be brave, keep a straight face... its too early to tell anything... And being with the Dursleys wont help one bit... He went through so much in such a short period of maybe half an hour maybe less, i cant remember now. But hes got his friends, he has us.. if he ever wants to talk..."  
  
"We can go see him you know." Remus said quietly, "You know Arabella Figg is in Little Whining. That's where he lives, yes?"  
  
"Yeah." Sirius's face brightened. "Birthday surprise maybe."  
  
"Remus?" Came a voice from the doorway, "The door's open and i..."  
  
"Hello you." Remus smiled up at the lady, "This is my friend, Siruis Black."  
  
"Sirius... Black??" SHe fell to the floor in a dead faint.  
  
"I knew i was good." Sirius muttered grinning, "Didn't realise i still had that effect."  
  
"Padfoot! Shes the muggle shopkeeper from the village..." Remus rolled his eyes. This was going to take some explaining.  
  
TBC 


	2. two

Summer of Discontent.  
  
2 of 3-  
  
Figg of the Summer Tree  
  
Let us continue our journey! (okay that sounded poncey... never mind)  
-*-  
3rd August--  
  
"Sirius and Remus- I'm sorry to have to tell you that the ministry are still in denial of Volemorts existence once more... I'm glad to see that you have found Remus and are planning on completing your task in the next few days. You may wish to go as your dog form. I have not told Arabella or Mundungus about yourselves. I think you should proceed with a great deal of caution. I would not have entrusted you with this if i had thought it would have compromised your freedom, so please do not make rash descisions. As far as i have head from our spies within the death eaters, they are not planning anything anytime soon, Voldemort is too busy punishing those who disobeyed him and recruiting new help. Take care, and fare well- Albus Dumbledore."  
  
"What's a death eater?" A lady sitting on Sirius's lap looked up at him with a vague look of wonder.  
  
"Evil pieces of filth wizards." Sirius shrugged, "Servants to their master cuz they're too wuss to play it alone."  
  
"Trust you to put it blandly." Remus shook his head, "I cant believe you Sirius, you've been here just over a month and you're... you're..."  
  
"Go on.. say it." Sirius egged.  
  
"You havent changed a bit." Remus sighed. "Do you think we should tell Harry of our little visit?"  
  
"You're leaving?" The lady asked  
  
"Sorry." Sirius winced, "Its really very important... No actually i want it to be a late- sorry i missed your birthday, lets blow up the dursleys anyway- surprise visit."  
  
"I hope you werent serious."  
  
"Pity that, because i was really looking forward to it." Sirius picked up a piece of parchment, folded it up and put it in his robe pocket with a fesh quill and Remus's old wand. Remus had recently been down to Diagon Alley under the pretense of breaking his old wand to buy a new one for himself, so Sirius could have his old one. For some odd reason, any wand that belonged to Remus worked extraordinarily well when Sirius used it, and vice versa.  
  
-*-  
  
"D'you think she was upset i left her behind?" Sirius asked Remus as they trudged through a dense thicketed area.  
  
"Are women all you think about?" Remus asked, stopping to unhook his robes from a stray piece of bracken.  
  
"Well no, i think about food a lot," Sirius joked. "There was this wonderful slice of cake..."  
  
"Allright." Remus waved away his friend's comment. "Listen, we're going to have to refrain from using magic. There are all sorts of guards put up against it, and i'm sure the ministry has this place surrounded with magical detectors, and to put it into context, if any wand magic is used, you get the wrong end of a distribution charm."  
  
"Do you know the bandwidth?"  
  
"A few continents." Remus frowned, "I heard some wizard was passing through the area and didn't know about them and he found himself in the middle of Texas five minutes after using a stunning spell on a wild animal."  
  
"Ouch." Sirius sympathised. "That must have been pretty damn annoying."  
  
"So you see the importance? We dont necessarily even need to place a hex, just pick up our wands..."  
  
"And kaboom, instant vacation." Sirius nodded, "Dont worry, i'm not planning on doing anything stupid... yet."   
  
They walked on for a while, passing roads and fields until they reached a small sign post that stated in no uncertain terms- "Welcome to Little Whining."  
  
"Sirius, maybe Padfoot is a good idea now.." Remus muttered, seeing some people giving them odd looks in the dusky light, then next time he looked, he was being accompanied by a large dog.  
  
"We're through the magical barriers." Remus muttered, looking down at an oddly shaped crack in the pavement, "Look, theres the ministry's mark."  
  
Sirius barked, and ran up to a small house on the corner of a street that said "Magnolia Crescent."  
  
"Yes i know we're close now." Remus walked on calmly, whilst Sirius ran in circles around him, trying to get him to hurry up. "Do you have to act rabid?"  
  
Remus turned into Privet Drive, Sirius had run on ahead and was sitting with his tail swishing outside number four. Remus looked up at the windows of the first floor. None of the lights were on, in fact the house looked deserted, no car was in the driveway. He frowned, then conjured up a leash. He could have sworn Padfoot had stuck his tongue out at him as he attached the leash to him and forcibly dragged him along to number eleven.  
  
"Hello, Arabella?" Remus smiled at the ageing lady as she opened her door.  
  
"Remus! Goodness gracious, what a surprise, come in! And your dog too, what a lovely dog he is too..." Arabella let them in, her cats scattered at the sight of Padfoot.  
  
"To what do i owe this pleasure?" Arabella gestured to them to sit down.  
  
"I'm afraid it isnt all good news." Remus shook his head, "I'm here, or more likely, WE are here on orders from Dumbledore, who is asking you to do something i'm sure you're going to find preposterous..."  
  
"Oh?" Arabella frowned, "What might that be?"  
  
"Trust me. believe what i am going to tell you because it is true."  
  
"Remus, after all those years, of course i believe you, i dont need Dumbledore to verify it for me." She laughed gingerly, still loooking at the dog who was now staring at her.  
  
"Sirius Black... he's he's innocent Arabella. We were fooled and he himself was framed, he has spent those twelve years in Azkaban for something he didn't do."  
  
"Impossible!" Arabella sounded extremely shocked. "How come?"  
  
"Peter Pettigrew is an unregistered animagus... it was he, who killed those people, he was the Potter's secret keeper, i really dont have time to explain, but as soon as you meet Dumbledore, i'm sure he will have time to tell you the details."  
  
"Maybe i should explain." Sirius had transformed and was sitting on Arabella's carpet looking slightly subdued.  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK!" Arabella pointed at him.  
  
Sirius winced, he'd done it again. The rest of his life was going to be like this. "Yes, its me. Please, trust us, we're here on Dumbledore's orders, he needs you back at Hogwarts, all the old crowd, we're heading out to Mundungus Fletcher after this, its about Lord Voldemort."  
  
"gracious." Arabella sank back down in her chair. "What a day this has been."  
  
-*-  
  
"Sirius... you're welcome here anytime you understand?" Arabella patted the black shaggy dog's head. "I'm glad it has been expained to me, i shall be heading to Hogwarts as soon as i can, i wish you well for the rest of your journey."  
  
"Thanks." Remus smiled as he and Padfoot headed back down the street they had come up yesterday evening. They heard the door close behind them and Remus smiled down at Sirius. "Charmer." He grinned. "Harry's now?" He asked. He didn't need to bother asking for an answer, the dog had gone haywire again, back outside Number four, the car was in the drive and it looked lived in again. Maybe the Dursleys had just been out for a concert or something, Remus wondered.   
  
Sirius suddenly stopped dead, and transformed, right there in the middle of the street. "Remus, we cant go in there looking like this..." He pointed his wand at himself, and his tired greying robes took the form of an expensive muggle suit. He then did the same to Remus.  
  
"Sirius, what are you doing?"  
  
"Being let into the house, you realise that nobody will be able to get in there from the wizarding world unless invited? Especially not me."  
  
"That.. is a good point." Remus nodded, then pointed his wand at the street curb outside the Dursleys- "Automobilius." An expensive cream coloured mercedes was now outside their driveway.  
  
"Good taste." Sirius nodded. "Who are we then?"  
  
"Business men, wanting to do a deal with er... whatever that Vernon person works as.."  
  
Sirius frowned, "I seem to remember Lily telling me he worked with a drills company." He shrugged, "Worth a try."  
  
Remus rang the doorbell.  
  
"YES?" Vernon answered the door, "What do you want?"  
  
"Mister Vernon Dursley?" Remus asked, "We work for er..."  
  
"Dogstar Engineering Company, we're interested in doing a deal with you." Sirius finished. Remus threw him a thankful look.  
  
"Oh yes?" Vernon looked over Sirius' shoulder and saw the gleaming mercedes, his attitude towards them changed immediately. "Come in, come in, let me introduce you to my wife..."  
  
Harry was eating his miniscule breakfast when the doorbell had rang. He could have sworn he heard the voices of Professor Lupin and his godfather... "Dogstar?" Harry muttered, trying to glimpse the people through the keyhole of the kitchen door.  
  
"This is our son, Dudley." Vernon said proudly, pushing his son forward. "Very proud we are... yes... very proud."  
  
Sirius was fighting the urge to make some very ungainly comments about Dudley's size, he was about to speak when Remus nudged him in the ribs.   
  
"We'd like to show you our plans..." He stood up, "Maybe if i could lay these out on the kitchen table..."  
  
"of course of course..." Vernon nodded showing them the way into the kitchen, he opened the door and found Harry crouched down by the doorframe... "What are you doing BOY! Get out of here..." He hissed under his breath. Harry was about to scamper up to his room when he saw Sirius's face from behind Vernon....  
  
"No i dont think i will." Harry stood up facing Vernon.  
  
"WHAT?" Vernon boomed. "CUPBOARD! NOW!"  
  
"Really, Mr. Dursley..." Remus said, pushing past the great lump into the kitchen... "That's no way to talk to a powerful wizard."  
  
"Especially when his godfather and legal guardian is in the vicinity." Sirius stepped forward, offering his hand.. "Sirius Black at your service... or maybe not your service."  
  
"Sirius! Professor Lupin!" Harry was practically beaming, Petunia and Dudley were creeping backwards out o the kitchen and Vernon was becoming increasingly beetroot coloured.  
  
"You know... you can call me Remus now." Remus said to Harry, "I dont teach you any more."  
  
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Vernon bellowed at Remus and Sirius.  
  
"Nuh-uh." Sirius shook his head. "We're here to talk to Harry... And to talk to you.. about Harry."   
  
Vernon gulped.  
  
"We're powerful wizards..." Remus started, pointing his wand at Vernon.  
  
"And of course, i'm a murderer... escapee." Sirius watched with immense satisfaction as Vernon and petunia paled at this. "So you're giong to do as we say, because, as you know, we're wizards and we have ways of keeping watch over you whilst not being there..."  
  
"Now... this is what we want..." Remus pulled out a piece of parchement, that unscrolled and rolled across the floor.  
  
TBC 


	3. the endie... NI!

Summer of Discontent.  
  
3 of 3-  
  
Two Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Four Slimy Snapes.  
  
-*-  
  
"Do you even know where Mundungus lives?" Remus asked Sirius, as they sat on a low brick wall to catch their breath.  
  
"Well... no." Sirius said, wiping the sweat from his brow, "I was hoping you'd come in use there."  
  
"I've not seen Mundungus since... well you know when."  
  
"Yeah." Sirius's gaze dropped. "Well, at least we did something about the Dursley situation."  
  
"Do you think they're actually worried we'll turn up unannounced again on spot checks?"   
  
"Of course." Sirius let out a brief laugh. "So funny- that man's face when we shut his wife in Harry's cupboard..."  
  
"What was Dumbledore thinking when he placed the poor child with those.... incapacitatingly idiotic trolls?." Remus shook his head, and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. "Totally out of his mind."  
  
"I'm willing to say that sending Harry there was not one of his better ideas."  
  
"Did you see that porky little cousin of his?" Remus stifled a laugh  
  
"How can you NOT see him?" Sirius sniggered nastily  
  
"Amazing... how can someone eat that much? I mean.. the health factors- he'll be dead by the time he's twenty five, cholestorol problems and heart disease no doubt."  
  
"huh? What's that all about then?"  
  
"Muggle health problems." Remus shrugged, "Stuff they havent really found cures for yet apart from a healthier diet."  
  
"He'll end up looking like one of those Balthazar creatures."  
  
"You're disgusting."  
  
"Thank you." Sirius smiled, pulling out a water bottle from one of his many cloak pockets.  
****  
  
  
  
"Yes, I need a location for a Fletcher, Mundungus please." Remus smiled a the assistant at the desk who was now checking through rolls of parchment in a cabinet labelled "D to H"  
  
"That your dog there?" She asked amicably.  
  
"Yes, he's very well trained, i can assure you." Remus tugged on the leash he had attached to Sirius before coming into the Owl Post Office which also dealt with Wizarding Directory Enquiries.  
  
"He doesn't like that lead much does he." Another little witch smiled down at him. Sirius wagged his tail and put his paws up on the desk to get a better look over the edge. "My my. You ARE a handsome thing, aren't you."  
  
Sirius let out a quiet bark, and looked up at Remus with a distinctive "Ha, i still have the good looks, even as a dog." look on his features.  
  
"Yes here we are, "Mundungus and Lewellyn Fletcher, Sunrise Farmhouse, Walton on the Nayse. Would you care to use Floo?"  
  
"Er... i dont think Floo would agree with my dog, here." Remus said apologetically.  
  
"Oh yes, i see what you mean..." The assistants waved at Remus as he gave them a quick smile and disappeard into the street.  
  
"You." Remus pointed at Padfoot. "Are a grade A show-off."  
  
Sirius barked in approval and tugged at the leash in the direction of a small food store, dragging Remus along behind him.  
****  
  
  
  
"Do you normally eat this much?" Remus asked as Sirius tucked into his family sized meal on the grassy hill overlooking the village.  
  
"When you've lived on congealed gruel for twelve years, you'd not say no to this either, matey." Sirius said between mouthfuls.  
  
"That's what they fed you?"  
  
"Uh huh..." Sirius puched his friend "Tell me, how come you got all the muggles at your door?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You never told me.. why you get these little muggle people coming to your door- that shopkeeper lady person..."  
  
"Oh!" Remus shrugged, "She has a small child, maybe about seven or eight, i never asked her age. I uh... earned a bit of money by looking after the child whilst she was working."  
  
"Remus... you didn't HAVE the child when she came by..." Sirius gave his friend a quizzical look.  
  
"She probably came by to ask if i would babysit again." Remus shrugged, "No big... she DID however recognise you off the muggle news, and i had some seriously fast explaining to do on your behalf."  
  
"Damn, if i'd known all that explaining came with the escapee package, i'd have never enrolled in the class." Sirius laughed, "Shall we keep going... Due west isn't it?"  
  
"South west actually." Remus checked the direction with the compass charm on his wand. "That way."  
  
"Can we sing something to keep us going..."  
  
Remus rolled his eyes, "Like what?"  
  
"Ten green bottles... or we could do... Ten Slimy Snapes Sitting On a Horribly Spiky Bed of Nails..."  
  
"Sing me the first verse." Remus chuckled  
  
"Ten slimy Snapes sitting on a spikey bed... ten slimy Snaa-AAAApes sitting on a spikey bed, and if one extremely slimy Sna-ape should be accidentally on purpose treansfigured into a sock...... there'll be nine slimy Sna- AAApes sitting on that bed." Sirius added a few extra words in to make it more 'interesting'.  
  
"That's... er... nice." Remus frowned, pulling the corner of his robes out of a hoop of barbed wire. "Don't let me stop your fun."  
  
"Join in."  
  
"No."  
  
"Come ooooooooon." Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, "You know you want to."  
  
"I dont sing." Remus tugged unsuccessfully at his robes, getting annoyed- he gave a large pull, and the material ripped.  
  
"You do now." Sirius shook his head picking up the remaining little scrap of robe Remus had ripped away. "Come on..."  
  
"Alright alright."  
  
"We start from two thousand seven hundred and fifty four snapes... just to make it more difficult." Sirius grinned, starting to walk down the hill, singing at the top of his voice. Remus followed, muttering various insults at his deranged friend, and the barbed wire.  
****  
  
  
Mundungus and Lewellyn Fletcher were sitting outside their farmhouse, enjoying the peaceful August evening, when they heard some raucous singing coming from the forest.  
  
"Lewellyn?" Mundungus raised an eyebrow, "I thought we had sorted out the travellers that settled in our paddock?"  
  
"We did." Lewellyn frowned, "They've obviously returned and have drink with them."  
  
Cautiously, Mundungus stood up and picking up his wand, he started walking towards the noise, when the bushes parted and a very bedraggled Remus Lupin and Sirius Black (who was still singing- he was down to ninty eight slimy Snapes by this time) walked through, looking very worse for their expedition.  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK!" Mundungus shouted, pointing his wand at him. "Move one step and you're dead,"  
  
SIrius feebly put his arms in the air. "Ninty Snapes too long..." He muttered quietly.  
  
"Remus! What are you doing with such FILTH?" Mundungus asked, getting very red-faced about the whole audacity of the issue.  
  
"Mundungus... Dumbledore has sent us here." Remus tried to explain.  
  
"Dumbledore has been harboring a violent criminal? Try telling me another story..."  
  
"Seriously." Sirius nodded, "You can go ask him if you really have to."  
  
"What do YOU want here?" Mundungus' wand was still pointed at Sirius' head.  
  
"I'm with him." Sirius quickly pointed at Remus. "He can explain."  
  
"Thank you so much." Remus said tiredly to Sirius. "Mundungus, you have to try to believe what i'm going to tell you, because every word of it is true and can be vouched for by Dumbledore himself if you so wish."  
  
"Tell me." Mundungus said, but interrupted as Remus started to talk. "INSIDE! I dont want you scumbags running away when you think you have a chance.... Lewellyn! Help me place charms on the doors and windows...!"  
****  
  
  
"So you're telling me Peter Pettigrew is still alive?" Mundungus asked for the eleventh time that day.  
  
"Yes." Sirius said exasperatedly, "I was framed, as we've been telling you..."  
  
"So.. what does Dumbledore think about this situation with You-Know-Who?" Mundungus conjured up three cups of exceptionally strong tea. Professor Trelawney would have been proud.  
  
"He has returned, been reincarnated... whatever you wish to call it... He'd like to regroup the Order, as soon as is physically possible." Remus said quietly sipping at his cup.  
  
"I see, what about Arabella?"  
  
"Already informed." Sirius said proudly. "We went to visit her- nigh on two days ago."  
  
"And now?"  
  
"Now we're headed back to Remus's." Sirius drained his cup. "Good tea, that was."  
  
"Yes, recipe of Lewellyn's," Mundungus smiled into his teacup. "Sirius- you must forgive me for terrorizing you like that earlier."  
  
"Dont think of it." Sirius waved the apology away. "I get that all the time."  
  
"We should get going Sirius." Remus stood up. "Dumbledore will send an owl i think- but if you wish to return to Hogwarts earlier, that's okay."  
  
"Of course, i will leave as soon as it is daybreak. Goodness! it's two in the morning, would you gentlemen like a room for the night?" Mundungus dropped his cup as he looked at one of his many clocks, each telling different things.  
  
"No... no thank you." Sirius shook his head. "The quicker we set off, the quicker we return and can lay low for the summer, keeping ears out for news et cetera."  
  
"Then at least use my Floo fireplace..." Mundungus handed them a small biscuit tin.. "Its the least i can do."  
  
Remus threw his Floo powder into the fireplace... "Lupin's Log Cabin!" He disappeared in a flurry of green fire. Sirius followed suit after thanking Mundungus.  
****  
  
  
Dumbledore sat in his office, he did not have time to return to his small countryside home for the summer. There was too much to be getting on with if the ministry refused to accept the return of the Scourge of Europe. A small tawny owl flew in the open window, startling Fawkes from his slumber.  
  
"A letter?" Dumbledore asked, "Thank you." He took the piece of parchment from the owl's leg. The owl didn't stop for water, but flew out of the window again, just as silently as it had arrived. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair as he unfolded the paper.  
  
"Dumbledore- Sirius is at the moment looking after one of the local children in the orchard, amusing the boy with his dog tricks, so i thought it might be better if i wrote you this letter now rather than later when he returns. We have visited Mundungus and Arabella, i think they will come to visit you as soon as they possibly can, though they await owls from you to verify the situation with Sirius. Along the way we stopped off at Harry's house. He seemed alright, though i'm sure he is having a better time after our... little chat with his uncle. i have heard nothing of the death eaters or Voldemort since your last letter- and we shall stay here for the duration of August- Meeting you on Hogsmeade station on September the first. I hope you are well and that Fawkes is over his burst into flames day. Till September- Remus Lupin."  
  
"That Sirius..." Dumbledore chuckled to his phoenix "A stranger dog i have yet to meet. Perhaps i should compose a reply with detailed instructions of Dog Etiquette."  
  
The phoenix replied by bursting into a ball of pink and blue flames.  
  
END 


End file.
